Africa: Global Youth Innovative Network and Columbia University Business School Collaborate to Launch First Online Youth Entrepreneurship Program

Washington, D.C. — The Global Youth Innovative Network (GYIN) and Columbia University Business School (CBS), well-known for educating the world's finest business leaders, have launched the first-ever GYIN-CBS InVentEd Online Innovation, Venture Creation, Education program which aims to identify and equip young African entrepreneurs with the necessary skills and tools they need to start their business and take it to the next level. This pilot program, which begins July 8th, will start with 20 participants from Burundi, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, and Uganda.

This intensive online program exposes participants to entrepreneurship concepts and innovation practices by guiding them through the new venture creation process as applied to a venture idea of their choice.

Participants, through interactive online lectures, short cases, and self-directed assignments, learn the core elements of venture creation and planning in a specially sequenced modular format. Each module provides the participant with the knowledge and tools required to develop a comprehensive new venture plan with the organizations, resources and individuals who can assist them.

The program will be taught over the course of 10-12 weeks, one session per week for 90-120 minutes. The sessions are broken down into five modules which include 1) Opportunity; 2) Strategy; 3) Innovation; 4) Leadership; and 5) Execution. At each stage, participants are exposed to critical terms, tools that support research and decision making, and explanations of how each major planning activity fits into the new venture creation process

Pape Samb, Chairman, GYIN, says, "This is an excellent opportunity for these young entrepreneurs. "In partnering with Columbia Business School, GYIN will act as an intermediary and translator, helping young African entrepreneurs understand what it takes to be investment ready by connecting them with the support to get there and building a pipeline for potential investors."

The significance of this collaboration is for CBS to assist GYIN with research and design of education and training materials, and to help identify, create, and exploit opportunities to create a more effective and efficient marketplace for young African entrepreneurs.

GYIN seeks to establish a truly global network of all young entrepreneurs, leaders and innovators. The network has over 5000 members in over 100 countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with a special focus in West and Central Africa. Through its members, it creates an environment that is conducive for the sharing of skill and knowledge and experiences.

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